Chapter Seven

Halloween garlands festooned the hall. Witches, skeletons, black cats, and broomsticks hung from the walls, swivelling eerily in every draught. And there were loads of draughts. Maggie was still cross at Emma’s accusation. Didn’t take an Islander to guess who she’d hired as the children’s entertainer, either. He was bulked out with padding, a floppy white hood covering his face, but the eyes were the ash-grey of a winter sky. And just as cold. That much she did notice.

So what hadn’t she noticed? A quick glance round at the children bobbing for apples showed there was one missing. And it didn’t take a local to work that one out, either. Wee Jimmy had gone walkabout—probably in search of a loo. At her count, and she hadn’t been watching him all the time, he had eaten heartily at the buffet meal, drunk five bottles of raspberry pop—hopefully not the leftovers of the vicar’s energy drink. That child would be supersonic with extra energy. And four or maybe five cupcakes.

“I’m off sleuthing again,” she told Emma as she passed her on the way out. “Tracking wee Jimmy.”

“He’ll turn up. Let him be.”

“It’s what he could be getting up to if we let him be that’s my worry.” Maggie tried for a smile to let Emma know she was not upset by her cross words earlier. She wasn’t sure she’d managed, and Emma didn’t respond.

The grim grey of the day had already turned to night while they were inside. Out of the dark stumbled a small figure, bravely whistling, though the whistle had a definite wobble. Her heart swelled with relief, and it was all she could do not to rush up to the child and enfold him in her arms. But her voice when she could trust it to speak was sharp with concern.

“Where on earth have you been, Jimmy Tolliver? We’ve all been worried sick. I was about to send out a search party looking for you.”

“Had something to do for my da.” His sharp features settled into the stubborn scowl she was beginning to know so well.

“At this time of night?” she said.

“It’s only five o’clock, miss. Just winter dark. We’ve been out later than this all week.”

“Not on your own.” But then she wondered. How did he get home from rehearsals? She’d just assumed one of the other parents accompanied him. But maybe not.

“My da wanted to know about the garden for Lady Eleanor. I went to look. He’s always told me never to touch anything there, and I didn’t, but—”

“But what?”

Maggie started in surprise at the anger and, yes, threat simmering in the voice behind her.

Lord D, a dark apparition in his Halloween cloak, stood terrifyingly tall, then lunged toward the child.

She jumped between them, her arms pushing the child behind her as she twisted to face her employer. A gasp of fear forced its way through her lips as she felt the sheer malevolence of his body language.

“But nothing,” she said hearing her voice sound thin, not at all as brave as she would have liked. “The child’s only been gone a minute—he hasn’t gone far, just playing on the lawn. I couldn’t see him for the shrubs.” Stop making too many excuses. “And he’s back now, no harm done.”

“Run along then, little man, and stay where you’re supposed to be.” The warm jovial tones coloured his voice once more, but Maggie felt it would be a long time before she forgot the suppressed rage that emanated from him. Would he really attack a child? Her stomach churned. She thought he might.

“Dreadful family,” he said without waiting for Jimmy to move out of earshot. “Before my time, of course, but his father was the gardener here. Ran off with Lady E’s housekeeper. Left his wife with three children to feed and keep. Feckless. A bad lot, and that one’ll be the same, you mark my words.”

Seeing the child’s brave strut back into the castle, Maggie wondered.

“He wasn’t doing any harm,” she said. “Just wanted to see the garden. I suppose he likes plants.”

Lord D did not look convinced as he ushered her back inside. And to be honest, neither was she.

For now, it seemed, she had another suspect for her list, and Jimmy Tolliver’s dad might be a strong contender. But Lord Donnal was lying, too. He had sacked the gardener just after Lady Eleanor left.

If this whole case rested on that car accident two years ago, then the vicar’s knowledge of confessions past made him very dangerous to anyone trying to rebuild a life. And she must remember to ask Jimmy what he was about to say when he’d been sent off sharply back to the party.

But, in the event, she forgot. Lord Donnal toppled to the ground in the Great Hall in the midst of receiving his guests for the Halloween Ball. The Murder at the Manor promotional flyers littered the marble floor around him. In the chaos, Pam took charge again. Everything pointed to another murder.